OMAN DOUBTFUL ON IRANIAN SUSPENSION OF NUCLEAR

C O N F I D E N T I A L MUSCAT 001122 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/12/2017 TAGS: PARM PREL KNNP MNUC IR MU SUBJECT: OMAN DOUBTFUL ON IRANIAN SUSPENSION OF NUCLEAR ENRICHMENT REF: A. STATE 165967 ¶B. MUSCAT 1100 ¶C. STATE 162558 Classified By: Ambassador Gary A. Grappo for Reasons 1.4 (b, d) ¶1. (C) During a December 12 meeting with Ministry of Foreign Affairs Secretary-General Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi, the Ambassador drew from refs A and C to emphasize continuing U.S. concerns over Iran's nuclear enrichment and ballistic missile development programs following the release of the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) report on Iranian nuclear activities. (Note: As reported ref B, the Ambassador previously discussed the NIE report on December 5 with Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs Yusef bin Alawi. End Note.) Sayyid Badr replied that he doubted that Iran, which possessed "tremendous pride," would "come forward" on either suspending nuclear enrichment or granting complete and unfettered access to the IAEA in its monitoring of Iran's nuclear program. He shared that in Oman's latest exchange with Tehran, the Iranians expressed anger at the "double standard" on Iran's vis-a-vis Israel's nuclear activities, and claimed that sanctions had "destroyed" their trust in the international community. Tehran accordingly has no intention of suspending its enrichment activities, said Sayyid Badr. ¶2. (C) To move forward on the Iranian nuclear file, the Secretary-General opined that the international community SIPDIS should seek to support and encourage the positive progress in talks between Iran and the IAEA. The ceding of greater access and further information to the IAEA, he claimed, would help the international watchdog to better evaluate Iran's nuclear program and the threat it may pose. GRAPPO